Behind Those Shaded Eyes
by pinkharts
Summary: When Derrick, an assassin, has a mission to take down a thief, he mistakes Massie Block for the wrong person. Now the two have to stick together as Derrick does his best to protect Massie from harm, while tracking down the right thief at the same time. Derrick is prepared for a lot of fighting, running, and flying bullets. But there's one thing he isn't prepared for...
1. The Job

**A/N:**** AHH, it's been more than a year since I last wrote anything! School was so hectic so I never had any time to write. :/ I hope you guys still remember me! :) Anyways, hopefully for the next few weeks before school starts again, I'll be able to write a lot. Anyways, this story idea popped up after I watched the movie, Wild Target, with Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, and Ruper Grint. So this story is loosely based off of the movie! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

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><p>It was nine o'clock in the evening where the streets of LA were still filled with people hanging out with friends. A slight breeze had just set in and the sun had already set, leaving the place to be filled up with artificial light. Most of the shapes had already closed since it was Sunday, but a few restaurants and coffee shops were still open.<p>

At one particular coffee shop, was a young, blonde man sipping his mocha frappuccino. One of his hands was tightly gripping the cup while the other flipped through a magazine he had just pulled off the rack. One would think that from the way his eyebrows were furrowed, he was deeply absorbed in whatever article he was reading. However, with him glancing out the window every couple of minutes would suggest an entirely different thing. He glanced at his iPhone and finished his drink. He got up and without bothering to put the magazine back in the rack, he left the coffee shop and crossed the street. He turned to the left and started walking at a brisk pace. After a couple blocks, he looked up and saw the sign that marked his destination.

At the same time, an older gentleman, no doubt a businessman, walked up to the building and the young man held the door open for him. The businessman walked in without a thank-you. The blonde followed in after him and watched as the business man greeted the front desk. The receptionist handed him a couple packages and then he proceeded to the elevators. The two got into the elevator and the man squinted at the blonde suspiciously.

"I've never see you here before."

"I'm new here. Just moved in," he said, sticking out his hand. "I'm Derrick Harrington."

The man looked like he didn't want to do a handshake but had no choice. "I'm Arthur Wright. I live up on the fifteenth floor."

"What a coincidence," Derrick smiled. "I'm on the same floor."

Arthur's eyes narrowed and it was clear that his suspicion had risen. "You don't say," he muttered.

The rest of the ride up was silent and Derrick could feel Arthur's eyes boring into his back. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Again, he let Arthur go out first and when Arthur turned right to go down the hallway, Derrick turned right.

"Have a good night, Mr. Wright," Derrick called out.

Arthur merely grumbled in response as he ambled towards his apartment.

Derrick made another turn and waited for a couple minutes to make sure Arthur had gotten into his apartment. Then he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and withdrew a 9 mm Glock and put on the silencer.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching and the voices of two young women. Derrick quickly shoved the gun back inside his coat and pulled out his iPhone, pretending to text. The voices got louder until the two women appeared. They seemed really drunk. The one on the right was stumbling around in her heels while the other was almost passed out, clinging on. They noticed derrick leaning against the wall and stopped.

"Hey, sexy," the stumbling one called out. 'You want to come and hang out with me and my friend tonight?"

Derrick smiled tightly. "No thanks, I'm actually meeting someone soon."

The girl pouted. "That's too bad. We could have so much fun."

_I'm sure we would._ Derrick thought sarcastically and watched as the two girls stumbled off. Once they were gone, he pulled out his gun once again and headed towards the direction Arthur had gone. He looked up at the room numbers.

701, 702, 703, 704…712. Derrick stopped in front of the room and knocked three times on the door. It was a few moments before the door swung open, revealing Arthur with his hair and clothes disheveled with a bottle of beer in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw who it was at the door, but before he could utter a single word, Derrick revealed his gun and shot two times.

Arthur crumpled to the ground and Derrick doubled checked to make sure he wasn't still alive. He walked in and pulled Arthur so he wasn't in the doorway.

"Goodnight," Derrick said before he closed the door and started down the hallway. He didn't have to worry about security cameras because earlier he had hacked into the building's security system and inserted a loop feed into the cameras on the fifteenth floor. No one would know he was ever on this floor.

Derrick got back onto the elevator and went down to the first floor and exited the building as if he was just another visitor. He crossed the street and walked over to his black Mercedes. He got in and then speed dialed a number.

"It's done," he said.

"Excellent, I'll call you as soon as I have another assignment," the voice on the other line said. "Go home and have a good night's rest."

Derrick hung up and started the car. This is what he did for a living. He was an assassin. He was hired to kill people who had done something that obviously had pissed off their bosses in some way.

In Arthur Wright's case, the man used to be a prominent business man who was in charge of his company's stock. Somehow he'd messed things up and caused the company to lose a lot of money. So Derrick was hired to kill him.

How did Derrick get into this job exactly? He basically inherited it from his father. When he was little, Derrick's father taught him how to use guns and other tips and tricks. He learned everything from him and when his father died, it only seemed natural that Derrick took over. This is what Derrick's been doing ever since. He didn't hate it but he didn't like it either. And he wasn't a heartless man just because he killed people for a living. It's just the way things were.

**.:::.**

It was almost ten when Derrick got back home and the first thing he did was take a shower. After his shower, he neglected to put on a shirt and instead went downstairs to cook himself a quick meal. And by cooking, it meant heating up a frozen TV dinner. Tonight, it would be lasagna. Considering how little time he spent at his house, there was never really any food in his fridge—only fruits and leftover takeouts.

His house, which was located far away in an isolated place, was huge and empty. It always was. Derrick never had any company over save for his one best friend, Cam Fisher. But even then, came rarely came over because he was busy with his own life. Cam was the only person who knew Derrick's real occupation. Whenever anybody asked, Derrick would just say that he was a tech consultant which could be true since he knew a lot about technology and could manipulate it.

So at the age of twenty-three, Derrick Harrington was a lonely man. Not that he minded. He didn't anyone. At least that's what he kept telling himself. Having the job that he had, didn't really allow a lot of time for himself. He spent the majority of his time coming up with plans and figuring out his target's schedules. And when he was done planning, he was out executing them.

After finishing his dinner, Derrick headed back upstairs to his room and slipped into bed, quickly falling asleep. But he was awakened in the middle of the night when his iPhone rang and vibrated. Derrick blindly reached out in the dark towards his nightstand.

"Yeah?" Derrick mumbled. There could only be one person calling at this time.

"New assignment: twenty-one year old Lindsey Taylor. I'm transferring the info to you right now."

Derrick grunted and hung up. He rolled out of bed and walked over to his computer. A new file popped up containing his next assignment. Clicking on the file, a picture popped up first.

It was of a beautiful girl with fierce amber eyes, with long, lustrous chestnut curls and high cheekbones that complimented her face. Derrick read the document that followed and found out that Lindsey had stolen from a chain of brand name stores and set up her own online shop to sell those items. The owner, who was a powerful business man, wanted her dead. Sighing, Derrick briefly re-read the whole thing and then closed the file. He sometimes questioned the people's judgments. In Lindsey's case, was stealing really a cause for killing her? Wouldn't it be better to just send her to jail? But there was no one he could argue with. He couldn't. He just had to do what he was ordered to do.

Derrick climbed back into bed. Tomorrow he would set out to find Lindsey Taylor.

Sleep now. Kill later.

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><p><strong>So next chapter I'm going to bring Massie into the picture and see how everything plays out when she and Derrick finally meet! Hopefully this was an okay chapter. I'm pretty rusty. :**

**Please review and let me know what you thought of it! **


	2. Shopping Can Be Deadly

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorited this story! Sorry for not updating. I was so busy during the last couple of weeks of summer and now school has started again. But hopefully, I'll be able to still update. Enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>There are times when people go to spas or therapists to distress. But for 19-year old Massie Block, all she needed was retail therapy. A simple pair of Louboutins or Jimmy Choos could easily make her day—especially if they were on sale. But it wasn't like money was an issue for Massie. She had enough credit cards to last her long enough for a lifetime. She also had a trust fund that was always increasing.<p>

Derrick spotted the young girl coming out of Oscar de la Renta carrying bags on both arms as she tried to balance the weight. She turned a corner and made her way to the parking lot and Derrick made sure to keep a reasonable distance between him and her. There was only the sound of the girl's high-heels click-clacking, echoing through the parking lot.

Even though it was a weekday, the parking lot was still surprisingly almost empty. Derrick watched as the girl pulled out her keys to her black Lexus and clicked the button to unlock it. Derrick quickly positioned himself behind a block and watched as she made her way to the trunk.

_She's even more beautiful in person_. Derrick thought, but quickly cleared his head. He was here on a mission and he couldn't get distracted.

He was about to make a move when a sudden movement out of his peripheral vision caught his attention. Confusion swept over Derrick as he saw a guy close to his age, dressed in a simple suit similar to his. What was that guy doing here? He didn't look like any old normal shopper. Derrick quickly realized what was going on when the other guy slowly pulled out a gun. Wait, that was supposed to be his job! Before Derrick could really process the situation, he pulled out his own gun and shot the man in his right leg. A loud bang rang out and the man fell to the ground, groaning.

A piercing scream rang out and Derrick realized the scream was coming from the young woman. He turned and saw her with the shopping bags at her feet, eyes wide open with horror and disbelief.

He looked back down at the man who was now reaching for his gun and getting ready to aim at him.

"Get back!" Derrick yelled at her.

Massie shut her mouth and seemed to realize that he was talking to her. Completely ignoring her bags, she dove behind her car and closed her eyes tightly. Derrick quickly hit the man on the head with the butt of his gun and the man was out cold. Satisfied, Derrick bent down to search the guy's jacket for I.D. He wanted to know who the man was but he didn't find anything. Giving up, Derrick turned his attention to Massie who was still cowering behind her car. He cleared his throat. He still had a job to do.

Massie looked up at the sound of Derrick's approaching footsteps. The fear was back in her eyes and she stood up so quickly she almost tripped over her high-heels.

"Please," she said, backing away and holding her hands up in surrender. "Take whatever you want. Take my money, take my car. Just don't hurt me." She threw her wallet at him.

Derrick caught the wallet with one hand and was about to tell her that he wasn't here for money when her wallet caught his eye. The photo in the driver's license was Lindsey Taylor, but it didn't say that. It said 'Massie Block' and it said she was nineteen.

"Is this you?" he asked, pointing at the photo on the driver's license.

"Yes! What do you want?" Massie asked, still slowly backing away.

"You're not Lindsey Taylor?"

"No! Who is she?" Massie's faced scrunched up in confusion, "I've never heard of her."

Derrick's heart started pounding as realization set in. this girl was not Lindsey Taylor and he had come _this _close to killing her. Killing an _innocent _person. He was secretly grateful for the other guy. If it wasn't for him and the distraction, he might've already shot her.

"Who are you exactly then?"

"Massie Block," she replied in a wary voice. She had stopped moving and now stood still next to an elevator. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Derrick said. "I don't want anything."

"Then why do you have a gun and why did you just shoot that guy?" Massie gestured at the gun in Derrick's hand.

"Because he was trying to kill you," he said simply as if it was no big deal. "So I shot him to stop him."

"He was trying to kill me?" Massie screeched as her face turned pale. She looked at the unconscious man on the ground and then back to Derrick. "Why would he want to kill me? I've done nothing wrong!"

Derrick paused for a moment as he tried to think of something to say besides the truth. "I don't know, you tell me."

"There's nothing to tell!" Massie yelled. "Also, that doesn't explain why you so conveniently had a gun."

"I'm a…detective," Derrick said, making up a lie on the spot. There was no way he could let her know that he was actually a trained assassin hired to kill her. "And I was on an assignment to track him down."

"Okay, but I still don't know why he wanted to kill me."

Derrick decided he needed to let Massie know the truth somehow without making it seem like he was the bad guy. "I heard rumors that he was hunting down a certain Lindsey Taylor who steals expensive brand name items and then resells them online. His mission was to hunt her down but you look _exactly _like her and he thought you were Lindsey."

"Well, I'm not! And to think that I was almost killed for a mistaken identity. A criminal!"

Derrick stared silently at Massie as she started pacing back and forth. It wasn't long until the guy would wake up.

"I have a freaking trust fund. Why the hell would I need to steal things and then resell them online?" Massie scoffed.

Derrick smirked. That was a good point. But then he grew serious because now Massie was in danger. There was sure to be more assassins coming after her and there was no way Derrick could get rid of them and correct the misconception that Massie was Lindsey Taylor.

"We should get going," Derrick said.

"What the hell? I'm not going anywhere with you," Massie glared suspiciously. "I don't even know your name!"

"I'm Derrick Harrington, nice to meet you."

Massie merely blinked and then remembered there was a guy lying on the ground. "There's a dead guy right there!"

"Calm down, he's just unconscious. He'll probably be waking up in half an hour." Derrick sighed. "We need to get out of here before he wakes up. You're in danger now."

"Why should I trust you? I'm not going anywhere with you." Massie said stubbornly.

"Why? Because I'm the only person you've got right now. But fine, you don't have to go with me. Just don't blame me when the next assassin comes and kills you." He stated simply.

"Why can't you just bring me to the police or put me into Protective Services or something like that?"

"This isn't the CIA or Secret Service," Derrick smirked. "And this definitely isn't any normal crime case." He was getting annoyed by Massie's stream of constant questions and was almost ready to just call it quits and leave her to fend for herself. But he couldn't do that.

"Okay, fine, where are we going?" Massie said, finally giving in.

Derrick rubbed his head. "We'll go back to my place for now and we can figure things out later."

"Are we just going to leave that guy there?" Massie asked, gesturing to the figure on the ground.

Derrick groaned and picked the man up, pulling him all the way to the elevator. "He'll be fine here. I'll call it in and someone will come and take him away." He felt that this was better than killing the guy. He hoped that this would lessen the chance of more assassins being sent out.

Massie picked up her bags and proceeded to dump them in her trunk which was still open. Then she climbed into her car and started the car. She leaned out the window and called out, "Aren't you getting in?"

"First of all, you don't know where I live, so I'm driving. Second of all, we're taking my car. So get out and let's get going."

Massie gaped. "Am I just supposed to leave my car here in the parking lot?"

Derrick nodded simply as if it didn't matter what happened to Massie's car because frankly, there was something more important to worry about than her Lexus.

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving my car here."

"Fine, suit yourself." Derrick called out, walking away from Massie's car in the direction of his. "Have fun surviving on your own."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much." She called out indignantly. "I sure as hell don't need your help."

Derrick waved his hand in response as he sauntered back to his car. If that's the way she wanted, he would leave her here. He had no problem with that.

As Derrick walked further and further away, Massie's doubt began to grow. She'd meant it when she said she could take care of herself. But now she wasn't so sure if she could on this kind of level. She didn't want to take the chance and it seemed like a smarter choice to stay with someone who could protect her.

Massie turned off the engine and opened the door, running out after Derrick who was already out of sight. She ran out the parking lot and looked around before spotting Derrick getting into his car. She ran across the street, attempting to flag him down and catch his attention.

"Derrick, wait!" She called out, putting a hand on the car window.

The window rolled down and Derrick took off his sunglasses, peering up at Massie. "Well, look who's changed her mind."

"I'm sorry, you were right." she said. "It's better that I go with you."

Derrick gave a half smile. "Get in,"

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Massie turned and ran back to the parking lot. Moments later, she returned with her shopping bags and tapped the trunk of Derrick's car.

Derrick rolled his eyes and popped open the trunk for Massie to deposit her bags.

"What? If I'm going away with you, I need my clothes," Massie said in reply to the look Derrick gave her when she got in the car. "Unless you'll let me go back to my place to gather some of my stuff."

"Other assassins might already be there," Derrick said, starting up the car. "We can't risk it."

Massie nodded in understanding and fell silent as they pulled away from the curb. She would just have to wait and see what Derrick's next move would be.

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><p><strong>Wow, this chapter was almost 2,000 words! I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned to see what happens next!<strong>

**PLEASE review! It will make me update faster!**


	3. Running From Danger

**I know, I know. It's been WAY too long. Thanks for the review, alerts, and favorites! Here's another chapter :)**

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><p>In order to fill in the awkward silence, Derrick asked Massie to talk about herself. He learned that Massie had lost both her parents in a plane accident at the age of 15. She'd then been sent to live with her only relatives and lived with them until she was eighteen and then moved out and got a place for herself. It wasn't like she didn't like her relatives. She just felt like she never really fitted in. Massie's relatives still sent monthly checks even though she had her trust fund. She also mentioned that she had an internship at Teen Vogue which no doubt had just become a problem.<p>

Massie had only started the internship a couple months ago and everything was going smoothly. She knew there was no way Derrick was going to let her keep going to work. She would have to call in sometime to let them know that she would have to be absent for a little while. Hopefully they would just find a temporary substitute and she would be able to keep the internship.

"So enough about me," Massie looked over at Derrick. "What's your story? How's your job as a detective?"

"Being a detective can be hard and frustrating sometimes," Derrick paused, trying to think of what a detective's job would be like. "But it can also be very awarding."

"Sounds like not a bad life," Massie commented. "Have you had many cases like mine before?"

"No." _Definitely not._

"Interesting. Well, I feel kind of special then," Massie said. "I'm not saying that any of this is good though."

There was no response from Derrick so silence set over the two. Massie saw that they were now driving uphill on a wind, narrow road.

"Are we almost there yet?"

"Not quite. Just go to sleep or something."

Massie did as Derrick suggested and she was out in a minute. She woke up just in time for their arrival. She blinked several times at the sight before her. Derrick's house wasn't what she was expecting. The house was massive and looked about the same size as her house. It had two stories and had a Spanish villa style with ivy growing all over the place.

"Looks like being a detective pays off well," she commented, looking at the surroundings.

"Guess it does," Derrick said as he opened the trunk to retrieve Massie's belongings. When he unlocked the front door, Massie's nodded approvingly. The inside was even more beautiful than the outside.

"I wouldn't mind living here forever," she said. She swiped a finger across a table and discovered that it was dusty. "As long as you clean up the house. Don't get company much? I wouldn't be surprised. Your house is probably in the middle of nowhere."

Derrick ignored her comments and started up the stairs. "If you want to see where you'll be staying, follow me."

He led her all the way down to the end of the hallway and pushed open the door to the room on the left. The room was painted a light shade of blue and there were two windows that allowed plenty of sunlight to get in. Outside there was a view of the plain backyard. There was only grass and a stone pathway that snaked around the corner of the house. The furniture in the room was simple too. A black four-post bed and accompanying drawers and cabinets were all that were in the room. Derrick dropped Massie's bags onto the bed and turned to leave, but Massie stopped him by putting a hand on his arm.

"Thank you," she said. "For not leaving me behind. I really appreciate what you're doing for me."

"Well, what else could I do? I couldn't just leave you there." Derrick said. "I'm leaving right now to get something for dinner. You can either stay here or come with me."

"I'll just stay here and watch TV."

"Okay, suit yourself. There's no cable though, so have fun with that."

"What? You live in a house like this but you can't afford cable?" Massie exclaimed. And just like that, quick as it had appeared, nice, sincere Massie was gone.

Derrick shot Massie a look and decided that it wasn't worth explaining to her. He came home late every single night so he hardly spent any time at home. Therefore there was no need for cable TV. If he really wanted to watch something, he would just go rent a movie from Netflix.

"I'll come with you then," Massie sighed. "I need to get a few more things anyway. Let me just go to the bathroom first."

Derrick left the room without another word and went downstairs to start his car. He clicked a button on his GPS and a new dialing screen popped up. "Call contact number one." His phone which was connected to the GPS started ringing. After only two rings, someone picked up.

"Listen, I'm going to be unavailable for the next few days," Derrick said.

'Going on a vacation?" the man on the other line asked. "It's about time you took one."

"No, you know the Lindsey Taylor case you gave me recently? Turns out I got the wrong person and someone else tried to kill the wrong girl. So I took her and she's with me now."

"So the real Lindsey Taylor is still out there?"

"Yeah."

"I don't care what you do with the other girl. But you need to get rid of Lindsey Taylor ASAP. Once they found out she's no dead, they'll hire other assassins to kill her. You hear?"

"Yes, I know," Derrick sighed. "I just have a lot to deal with right now."

"Don't worry, I know you'll get your job done. You always do."

"I gotta go, but I'll call you if anything else comes up."

"Alright, remember your original mission. Don't mess it up."

Derrick hung up just as Massie opened the door and slid in.

"Were you just talking to someone?" she asked.

"No, I uh, was just talking to myself."

Massie gave him a weird look. "Okay, anyways, let's go."

Derrick fought the urge to kick Massie out of the car. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to stand her. Massie reached over to turn up the volume of the radio but Derrick stopped her.

"No music," he said simply.

"First no cable and now no music?" Massie stared at him in disbelief. "What kind of world do you live in?"

"I like to drive in _silence_," Derrick said with a pointed look.

"Yeah, no kidding," Massie scoffed. "Whatever, I'll just go to sleep then. I'm assuming wherever we're going is going to take a while to get there. Wake me up when we get there."

**.:::.**

Massie was still asleep when they arrived at the town center. Looking at Massie's sleeping figure, Derrick decided that it was best to leave her in the car because he didn't want to have to deal with her constant stream of annoying comments. He rolled up the windows and made sure to lock the car and made his way to the grocery store.

Fifteen minutes later, Massie woke up and realized that Derrick had left her in the car. Muttering to herself about how rude Derrick was, Massie decided that now would be a good time to call in about her internship.

"Hi, it's Massie Block. Yes, the new intern. Can you please let Judy know that I will be unable to come into work for a few days?" Massie said. "Something came up and I need to deal with it immediately. I'll try to come back as soon as possible. Thank you."

Glancing down, Massie spotted a key of rings laying on the driver's seat with a note attached. _When you wake up, if you really want to you can unlock the car and come find me in the grocery store._

"There's no way I'm staying in this car," Massie muttered. "I need to pick up some stuff." She unlocked the door and made her way to the drugstore instead. Stopping by the first aisle she picked up a toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, and other necessities that she would need for the duration of her stay at Derrick's home. When she was done, she went over to the grocery store to find Derrick. Massie found him in the frozen food aisle picking out some pizza and lasagna.

"You're finally awake, I see," Derrick said, barely glancing her way. "Took you long enough."

"I had to pick up some stuff first," Massie held up her bag. "I was right next door at Walgreens."

Derrick walked over and peered into the bag to see what Massie had bought.

"That's what you bought? A toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion and shampoo?" Derrick looked up and sighed in exasperation. "If that was all you needed, I could've just left you at home. I have all those things at home, you know."

"Well how was I supposed to know?" Massie huffed. "For all I know, you have absolutely nothing in your house except for your everyday necessities. And I'm sure you house is completely empty all the time."

Derrick slammed the door of the refrigerator. "My house may be empty but that doesn't mean I don't have simple things like toiletries."

"Oh, well excuse me for underestimating you," Massie laughed. "Clearly I don't know you well enough to start making judgments."

She expected Derrick to say something back in response but instead his attention was focused on something else. Derrick was looking past Massie at a bearded middle-aged man in a black coat that was lurking right at the end of the aisle behind a stand of cookies.

"Hello? Did you not hear what I just said? Or have you decided to start ignoring me?"

"Shut up." Derrick grabbed Massie's arm and dragged her to the other end of the aisle and turned a corner.

"What the hell, Derrick?" Massie shook free of Derrick's grip and glared at him. "You don't need to get so mad about it, I was only joking."

"Shut. Up." Derrick looked around the corner for a second. "Did you use your cell phone by any chance?"

"Uh, yeah, I had to make a phone call to my workplace. I needed them to find a temporary intern to fill in for me." Massie said. "That's it."

Derrick's jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth. "Damn it, you shouldn't have done that. They must have tracked your cell signal."

"They? Who's they?" Massie leaned forward to see what Derrick was looking at, but Derrick pulled her back. This time Massie slapped Derrick's arm. "Can you please stop doing that? Who are you talking about?"

"Where are my keys?"

Massie took the keys out of her pocket and tossed them at Derrick. "Here. Now can you _please_ tell me what the hell's going on?"

"That guy over there is following us. He probably tracked your signal." Derrick grabbed Massie's hand and started walking towards the fresh produce section in order to get away from the man.

"Well what does he want?" Massie asked.

"To kill you, obviously," Derrick snapped. He suddenly ducked behind a counter of apples, pulling Massie down with him and she barely had enough time to catch herself from hitting the ground.

"Okay, seriously, if you do that one more time, I'm going to leave you." Massie hissed.

"Go right ahead. Be my guest." Derrick smirked. "If you leave, you'll make everything much easier. If you think that protecting you is too 'annoying', then leave."

Massie mentally cursed and slapped him once again.

"Really? Slapping me again?" Derrick turned around to face the other side. "How good are you at running?"

"If I wasn't homeschooled, then I'd say I was on the high school cross country team." Although she didn't look like the type, Massie loved running as much as she loved shopping. It was her way of distressing when shopping didn't work.

"It looks like I underestimated you," Derrick allowed a quick smile before his face turned hard again. "Get ready, we're going to make a run for the exit. Don't let go of my hand."

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do? What if the man catches us?"

"He will catch us if we just stay here. We have to get out of here one way or another. And when he does, he's going to kill us both. So I suggest you stop talking and just do as I say."

Massie glared at him but shut up. She grabbed onto Derrick's hand and the two started running quietly towards the exit. The assassin immediately spotted them and started chasing after them, knocking over boxes of crackers and bags of chips in the process. Customers stopped shopping and they froze in their places and looked on at the chaos that was happening. The employees couldn't figure out what was happening so they looked on also. The few seconds Massie and Derrick had to wait for the automatic doors to open almost let the assassin catch up. Thankfully they ran out just in time and could see the car in their sights.

Suddenly Massie's foot caught on a bump and she tripped, leaving her behind as Derrick kept on running. He hadn't heard her fall and didn't notice that Massie was no longer next to him until he heard a scream with his name. He whipped around and saw Massie limping but running at the same time as best as she could with blood trickling down her legs.

Derrick cursed and looked over to the entrance to see where the assassin was but he was nowhere in sight. Wasting no time, he swept Massie up into his arms and carried her for the last couple of feet to his car. Opening the passenger door with one hand, he gently placed Massie into the seat and shut the door. Derrick started the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

"You okay?" He asked, glancing over. He could tell that Massie was visibly shaken, not to mention a little banged up.

"I'm fine." Massie winced as she adjusted her legs slowly. "It's just a few scrapes, I've gotten worse before."

Derrick wanted to tell her that he wasn't asking about her physical well being but he kept quiet. Massie had suffered enough for one day. Or even for a lifetime. He would let her rest when they got back.

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><p><strong>Ooh, more trouble already? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE review! (it would make my day!)<strong>


	4. Cleaning Up

**Ahhh, I've had writer's block for the longest time. You guys probably don't remember me at all haha. Hopefully I'll be back to updating regularly! Enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>When they reached the house, the throbbing pain in Massie's leg had subsided and she was left with a little stinging sensation. Derrick opened the passenger door to carry Massie out but she shook her head.<p>

"I can walk on my own," she said and made her way to the door as Derrick watched on silently.

She started up the stairs and looked back to see if Derrick was following but he was nowhere in sight. Shaking her head, she went into her room to take a shower to clean up. Stepping into the shower, Massie turned on the water and watched as the blood from her legs trickled down into the drain. She flashed back to the moment at the grocery store. She should've known better than to use her cell phone. If she hadn't none of this would've happened. She had no one but herself to blame. She wasn't going to be as careless anymore.

When she had tripped out in the parking lot and Derrick was way in front of her, she thought for sure she was going to die. But miraculously, the assassin had disappeared. Massie shuddered at the thought if there was a next time, she wouldn't be as lucky. She blasted the water at full temperature and immediately felt her body start to relax and the scary thought disappeared from her mind.

Twenty minutes later, Massie had just finished changing and drying hair when Derrick knocked on her door.

"Come in," Massie called out from the bathroom, setting her brush down.

"I brought the first-aid kit," Derrick said. "Oh, are you comfortable in that?"

Massie had walked out wearing a black, one-shoulder body con dress that was dangerously short. She blushed and tried to tug the dress down a bit. "Not really, it's the only thing I have." She'd only bought dresses and shoes when she went shopping earlier.

"Let me go grab something for you," Derrick said. He was back in a couple minutes with a plain white t-shirt and black sweats. "The sweats probably won't fit you," he grimaced.

"Thanks," Massie took the clothes and went back into the bathroom to change. The t-shirt hung loosely past her waist and stopped at mid-thighs. As predicted, the sweats didn't fit so Massie had no choice but to be just wearing the shirt. She came back out and Derrick already had all the necessary supplies out. He looked up from the first-aid kit and his eyes landed on the sweats in Massie's hand. Following his gaze, Massie blushed and lowered the sweats in an attempt to cover up.

Derrick just shrugged and gestured for Massie to sit on the bed. Pulling one of her legs forward, he ripped a pack of alcohol swab open and gently cleaned the scrapes, stopping every time Massie flinched and pulled back.

"Sorry," Derrick said. "I'm almost done."

"No worries, I'm fine."

When Derrick finished cleaning both legs, he grabbed a couple Q-tips and applied some Neosporin on. Massie watched as Derrick gently ran over her scrapes, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

_His hands are so soft_. A random spasm in her foot broke Massie out of her reverie and she almost kicked Derrick in the head.

"Sorry," Massie sniffed. "Random spasm."

"Got it," Derrick nodded. "So you're good to go." Because the scrapes ran all the way from her knees to her ankles, Derrick used some patches of gauze to bandage up her legs. "You still up for dinner?"

Massie shook her head. "No, I've lost my appetite. I think I'm just going to go to sleep now." After her near-death experience, she wasn't in the mood for anything. All she wanted to do was forget about the incident. The sooner the better.

"Alright, if you happen to wake up and get hungry, I'll leave some food in the fridge for you." Derrick got up and made his way towards the door but Massie stopped him.

"Derrick?"

"Yeah?" He turned around.

"Thank you," Massie said. "For saving my life. Again."

Derrick simply nodded and taking the kit with him, he left the room and headed downstairs to make some food.

Massie climbed into bed and in a matter of seconds, she was out.

**.:::.**

Down the hallway in his room, Derrick was on his laptop searching for any news on Lindsey Taylor. This girl was good. She was staying underground, making it harder for Derrick to find her. He closed his laptop in frustration and decided to call it a night. Grabbing his alarm clock and setting it to 6 AM, Derrick quickly fell asleep.

**.:::.**

Massie awoke with a start, panting heavily with her head pounding. The incident had turned into a nightmare and through it all, Massie had kicked off her sheets. Squinting at the clock, she saw that it was 2 AM and she pulled the sheets back up, prepared to go back to sleep but her stomach grumbled in protest. Sighing, she decided that it would be best to eat otherwise her stomach would keep her up for the rest of the night.

Massie tiptoed downstairs and the marble steps bit at her feet every step she went down. She made her way to the kitchen and flipped the switch on. Opening the fridge, Massie was greeted by the sight of a turkey and ham sandwich and a plate of Caesar salad. To be honest, she had expected something like frozen pizza because judging by the emptiness of the house, Derrick probably didn't spend too much time at home, much less cook real meals. She was touched that he had put in the effort into making a real meal. But then again, he could've just bought the sandwich and salad and put them onto plates at home. Rolling her eyes, she decided she was going to give Derrick the benefit of the doubt.

Taking the plates out, Massie's stomach grumbled even louder. She decided to sit on one of the stools at the counter instead of at the dining table. Glancing at her surroundings, Massie wondered why the place seemed so lonely. She remembered the dust collecting on the furniture in the living room and the bare walls save for a few paintings scattered here and there. Where was Derrick's family? Did he have any siblings?

When Massie finished eating, she made her way back upstairs. Noticing that Derrick's door was slightly open, she decided to take a peek. Derrick was laying flat on his back and his sheets were at his waist so that the moonlight illuminated his bare chest. Massie couldn't help but notice that his chest was extremely well defined.

Suddenly, Derrick let out a little grunt and shifted onto his side, exposing his back. Massie froze but relaxed when she realized Derrick was still sleeping. Backing out, she returned to her room and settled back into bed, having no trouble falling asleep again.

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><p><strong>Ugh, this was a sucky chapter, but it's better than nothing! I promise the next chapter will be way better, way more exciting! So please REVIEW! <strong>


	5. Secrets & Surprises

**Again, sorry for the super long wait! I'm sure you guys are all used to it by now. But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! ALSO-I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!**

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><p>When Massie woke up the next morning, she was surprised to see that Derrick wasn't at home. She'd checked the garage and saw that his car was still there so he must not have gone far from the house. Wondering what Derrick could be up to, Massie made her way downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast. However, she couldn't find anything to eat. No cereal, no oatmeal, no bread to make toast…nothing. Luckily, she found a single pan in one of the drawers and decided that the only thing she could make in this situation was an omelet.<p>

Ten minutes later, Massie was almost finished making the omelets when she heard footsteps approaching. "You didn't have any food, but you had some ingredients I could make omelets with," she called out.

The footsteps god louder and she heard a male voice that was not Derrick's.

"So why'd you make me come here this early?"

Massie turned around and came face to face with Derrick and a tall, well-built, brown-haired guy. The first thing she noticed was his two different colored eyes—one blue, one green.

"Oh, if I knew you were bringing company, I would've made more." She gestured to the plate of omelets. "But I can always whip up some more."

"I don't eat breakfast," Derrick said stiffly.

Massie blinked and then cleared her throat. "Good, cause I didn't make any for you," she snapped, handing the plate to the stranger.

"Don't mind if I do," the stranger chuckled. "Thanks. I'm Cameron Fisher." He stuck out his hand. "But you can call me Cam."

Massie shook his hand and smiled, "I'm Massie Block, nice to meet you."

"Nice clothes, by the way." Cam pointed out, noticing Massie's lack of clothing. He grinned and turned towards Derrick. "Had a good time last night?"

Massie blushed but Derrick glared at him. "Listen, the reason why I asked you to come here is because I need you to watch over Massie while I'm gone."

"Where are you going?" Massie and Cam asked at the same time.

"I'm following some leads so I'll be gone for a few days." Derrick gave Cam a pointed look.

"Okay, but I don't need someone to watch over me," Massie protested, stabbing at a piece of her omelet. "I'm safe here, aren't I?"

"Yes, but still, I'd feel better if I knew you weren't alone," Derrick replied. "Plus, you'll have company. The two of you can get to know each other."

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have company," Massie smiled at Cam.

"Don't worry, I've been told I'm good company," Cam winked. 'That's why I'm Derrick's best friend. We've known each other since third grade."

"How are your legs?" Derrick asked, changing the subject.

Massie lifted her legs up and showed them to him. Some blood had leaked through the bandages. "They still hurt, but there's nothing I can do about that."

"Let's go change the dressing."

"No, it's fine, I can change them myself."

"I can change them for you if you'd like," Cam spoke up.

Massie chuckled and turned her attention back to Derrick. "Besides, don't you have to get going now?"

Derrick glanced down at his watch. "You're right, I gotta go. You had better still be in one piece when I get back," he said, throwing on his jacket.

Massie crossed her hands on her hips. "Is that a threat?" she asked sarcastically.

"Just some friendly advice," he replied.

"Right, well, it's not like there's anything to do here that can get me hurt," Massie rolled her eyes. "You don't even have cable."

"I'm a simple man when it comes to these types of things."

"Clearly," Massie grumbled, finishing off her omelet. "I don't suppose you'll let me go out?"

"Certainly not." Derrick shook his head. "You have to lay low."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do here? Just eat and sleep?"

"Yes," Derrick said in a serious tone. "I really have to go now. If anything comes up, just call me." He turned around and disappeared into the garage before Massie could say anything else.

"I don't get how you can put with a guy like him," she said to Cam. "He's so frustrating and annoying to talk to sometimes."

"He's just being protective of people he cares about," Cam laughed. "Besides, that's not all he's made up of."

Massie picked up her empty plate and placed it into the sink and then sat back down on the stool. "And you. Why are you here? Don't you have work and other obligations?"

"Yeah, but I don't have a rigid work schedule and sometimes I work at home. Today just happens to be one of those days."

"It must be nice having that kind of freedom," Massie commented. "Unlike you, I now have none."

"But you chose to go with Derrick, so you have to live by his rules." Cam teased.

"True…but who says I _always_ have to follow the rules?"

"I'm not sure if I like the sound of what you're saying."

Massie laughed, "I'll be right back. I'm going to go change my bandages." Five minutes later, Massie back down with new bandages and a pair of sweats. "Come on, let's go."

Cam looked up from his phone, "Let's go where? You're not allowed to go anywhere."

"I assume I can stay in the neighborhood," Massie scoffed. "I can't be locked up in this house all day like a mental patient."

Cam sighed. "I would love to let you go out but I just can't risk anything happening to you. And I can't go behind Derrick's back."

Massie stared at Cam in disbelief and then scoffed. "Fine, then I'm just going up to my room and wallow if that's okay with you."

"Hold up," Cam called out. "Just because you're stuck here doesn't mean you have to sit in your room all day. Come on, follow me." He turned and started making his way down the hall and stopped at the end.

"Where are you taking me?" Massie looked around. She hadn't gotten the chance to explore this part of the house.

Cam opened a door revealing stairs and gestured for Massie to go in. "After you."

As soon as Massie stepped onto the first step, lights went on and she could see that the room was painted red. She made her way down the stairs and gasped.

"I know, it's awesome, isn't it?"

Instead of a creepy basement, it was a theater. There were about thirty seats in total and the screen took up the whole wall. Massie shouldn't have been this surprised. After all, an enormous house like this was bound to have something as cool as a home theater.

"And before you ask, yes, there is a huge collection of movies that we can choose from to watch." Cam pointed to a room in the back. "Right there."

Massie eagerly went through the collection one by one. "Oh my God, Derrick has the whole collection of Disney movies?"

"Yeah, he's a huge Disney fan," Cam chuckled. "His favorite one is _The Lion King_."

"It doesn't seem like he comes down here that often." All the DVDs had a thin layer of dust on them.

"He really only comes down here on his birthday. He invites me over and we just have a Disney movie marathon and drink wine. Of course, he ends up getting super drunk and I have to half drag/half carry him back upstairs and into his room."

"And that's what you guys do _every_ year for his birthday?"

Cam nodded. "He doesn't like going out and making a big deal out of it."

"I think everyone should celebrate the shit out of their birthdays."

"Me too," Cam chuckled. "But unfortunately that's not how Derrick is."

"When's his birthday?" Massie asked, still looking through the movie collection.

"December 16, which is in four days."

Massie looked up from the DVDs. "We should plan a surprise party for him."

"Derrick's not a huge fan of surprises," Cam pointed out.

"Come on, it'll be fun. I'm stuck here so don't take this away from me too."

Cam cracked a smile. "Alright, I admit that would be a good idea."

Massie grinned. "It'll make up for all those years." She held up two DVDs. "So are you up for a Batman marathon?"

"Good choice, I never get tired of Christian Bale and his badass moves." He took the DVDs and Massie made her way down to the seats.

"Too bad, there's no popcorn." Massie called out. "You'd think a place like this would be well stocked when in fact it's just the opposite."

"Well, you can't have everything," Cam replied, taking a seat next to Massie.

As the opening scene came on, Massie settled back into her seat and smiled. Maybe her stay here wasn't going to be so bad after all.

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><p><strong>So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review! Let me know what you likeddisliked about the chapter, what would you like to see in the future, etc. Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated! It would encourage me to put up the next chapter quicker! The next chapter will be about Derrick's trip!**

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I recently created a Clique forum for holiday fic exchanges. If you don't know what they are, it's almost like Secret Santa where authors sign up and give prompts for a story and then each author is assigned a certain author and they have to write a story for them with the prompts included. So if you're interested in writing a Christmas fic exchange this year, please go to the Clique Forums page and scroll down to the bottom of the first page and my forum is called "**Holiday Fic Exchanges!**". There's more information there and I hope you guys sign up and tell your friends about it. The more the merrier! PM me if you have any questions!**


	6. Bank & River

It was half past noon on another seemingly regular sunny day and Derrick had been camping outside a hotel in his car for the past four hours. A hotel he believed that Lindsey had been staying at for the past week. This could be his chance to take her out but with every hour his hope was slowly diminishing and his frustration was growing. He'd watched guest after guest go into the hotel but none of them were Lindsey. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't eaten anything since six in the morning. Derrick didn't want to leave to get a quick bite just in case Lindsey decided to show up when he was gone.

To kind of help pass the time (because sitting in a car with hours on end on an empty stomach could drive anyone crazy), Derrick's mind shifted from Lindsey to Massie. He wondered what she was doing at this very moment. Hopefully she wasn't stirring up any trouble. He knew she would get antsy being all cooped up at his house with nothing to do. Cam had texted him a few times informing him that Massie kept asking to go out. And each time Derrick replied back with the same message: Massie was not allowed to go out. Now thinking about it, he realized he was acting like a parent. Though this measure might seem extreme, Derrick had Massie's best interest at heart even if she didn't necessarily see that right now. He couldn't let anything happen to her. So even though Derrick didn't know how long Massie was going to have to stay at his place, he considered getting a TV and cable to at least try to keep Massie entertained. That reminded him about his nearly empty fridge and lack of food. He'd have to make a stop by the grocery store before he went back. He was sure she'd appreciate that. Or at least he hoped she would.

Suddenly, he saw a young brunette wearing a blue pea coat out of the corner of one of his mirrors approaching the hotel. He waited five minutes after she went in before going in himself.

The outside of the hotel looked very luxurious but inside it was even better. The sound of high heels click-clacking were emphasized by the marble floor and the many chandeliers that were hanging from the high ceiling made every detail in the hotel pop out even more. Derrick didn't see Lindsey anywhere in the lobby so he walked up to the front desk and flashed the receptionist a smile.

"Hi, did you see a tall brunette wearing blue pea coat walk in a few minutes ago?"

The receptionist, whose name was Michelle, nodded. "You mean Ms. Taylor?"

"Yes, can you please tell me what room she's in?"

"I'm sorry, we're not allowed to give out that kind of information," Michelle gave him an apologetic smile. "However, if you'd like, I could call her room and ask her to see if she'll allow you to come up."

"No, no, please don't." Derrick wracked his brain for any way to get the room number. "You see, I'm Lindsey's fiancé. She doesn't know I'm here and thinks I'm still on a business trip. If you could give me her room number so I can surprise her, I'd really appreciate it."

"Oh, that's so sweet! I didn't know Ms. Taylor was engaged. You're going to be such a good husband. I can see why she said yes," Michelle gushed. "Just give one me sec while I look her up. Ah, right here. She's in room 308."

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome. I hope your surprise goes well!" Michelle smiled, "Feel free to call the front desk if you need anything else."

Derrick nodded and made his way to elevator. When he arrived at Lindsey's room, Derrick pulled out a small device from his pocket and held it to the card key scanner on the door and pressed a button. Within a couple minutes, the light on the door turned green and Derrick grabbed his gun out as he turned the handle. Within the first ten seconds he realized Lindsey wasn't there. There were no signs of her save for two huge suitcases that were packed and on the bed.

He surveyed the room once more and rummaged through the closet and found a safe. It was the small standard safe that most hotels had. Pulling out another device from the inside pocket of his jacket, Derrick attached it to the safe and thirty seconds later, the device spit out a seven-digit code. He took the device off and quickly punched in the numbers. The safe beeped and popped open revealing just one small item—a black agenda book. Derrick picked it up and flipped through the pages to the current date. There was only one thing written in the box. _Bank-11AM _was the first thing written. Derrick glanced down at his watch and saw that it was almost one o'clock. So that's where Lindsey had just returned from. Derrick glanced ahead and saw that Lindsey had written something else for a couple days later. The second thing written was: _River-5PM. _River? Was that a person? A place?

Suddenly, Derrick heard voices coming from the hallway approaching. He quickly put the agenda back in the safe and shut the door. Without another thought, he darted into the bathroom and climbed into the tub. He pulled the shower curtains just as the door beeped and opened.

"Thank you for helping with my suitcases," Derrick heard Lindsey say. "I had no idea they would be so heavy."

"Of course, that's my job, Ms. Taylor. I'm happy to assist you."

"I just didn't expect to buy so many things while I was here," Lindsey laughed.

"Well, let's hope you don't turn into a shopaholic," the bell man joked.

"Oops, I think I already have!"

Derrick heard the distinct sounds of numbers being punched in and then the click of the safe. He silently cursed. This was the best chance he had at getting Lindsey but now that there was another person with her, he couldn't do anything. He had to figure out what the second entry meant before it was five o'clock.

"Make sure you don't forget anything here. Guests always end up leaving behind something," The bell man said. "Did you check the bathroom?"

Derrick tensed and reached into his pocket, hand on his gun, ready.

"I'm good, I already double-checked," Lindsey said. "I'm all set."

Derrick withdrew his hand and leaned against the wall in relief. How was he going to be able to explain to the bell boy that Lindsey was a wanted thief and that he was an assassin hired to kill her? Yeah, not possible. He heard the door open and close and when he was sure that the two were far away enough, Derrick climbed out of the bathtub and left the room. He realized that Lindsey was probably too long gone by now to follow. When he made his way back down to the lobby, the same receptionist he'd talked to earlier called out to him.

"Were you able to surprise Ms. Taylor? I just saw her leaving with all her bags."

"Yes, I did surprise her," Derrick shot Michelle a quick smile. "Thank you. She was very happy. We're heading back home now."

"You're welcome," Michelle beamed. "Glad I could help. I hope she enjoyed her stay here. Come back anytime!"

Derrick nodded and thanked her once more and left. As he made way his back to his car, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw that it was a text message from Cam.

**Cam: I don't know where you are but can you come back ASAP? I have to leave tomorrow and even though Massie insists she can be left alone, I don't want to leave her by herself. Let me know.**

Massie most certainly couldn't be left alone. Derrick wasn't taking any chances. He quickly responded with short message.

**Derrick: On my way.**

With that, Derrick pulled away from the curb and started heading back. Guess he would have to put a temporary hold on trying to figure out who or what "River" was.

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><p><strong>Sorry this chapter sucked but I just wanted to get something up since it's been so long. I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I promise the next chapter will be way better and a lot more exciting because Derrick comes home which means more Derrick and Massie interaction! ;) Not to mention it's going to be someone's birthday...<strong>

**So please review if you'd like to find out what happens between Derrick and Massie! (You know you want to) Leave me suggestions, comments/thoughts, etc. What do you guys want to see happen? :)**


	7. Candles & Wine

**I swear, every time I post a new chapter, my style has changed a bit (hopefully for the better). Anyways, again, sorry for the hiatus! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Also, I have an IMPORTANT announcement at the end so be sure to read through everything!**

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><p>It had taken Derrick almost five hours to get back. He hadn't taken any rests except to go to the restroom. When he parked his car in the garage, his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he was starving. He would run out and pick up something after he checked in with Massie.<p>

The first thing Derrick noticed when he walked into the kitchen was that all the lights were out and the house was quiet. Too quiet. As Derrick reached over to flip the switch, two figures jumped out from behind the counter and yelled, "Surprise!"

Derrick drew his gun and whipped around, ready to shoot.

Massie let out a squeal and Derrick took in the scene lowering his gun.

"Happy birthday?" Massie chuckled weakly, holding out the cake in her hands to Derrick.

Derrick's eyes narrowed at the chocolate cake in Massie's hands. He didn't seem too pleased by the scene in front of him. "What the hell is this?"

"Your birthday cake?" Massie set the cake down on the counter.

Derrick ignored Massie and directed his attention towards Cam, waiting for an answer.

"Massie thought it'd be nice to celebrate your birthday since you never really do."

"You told her it was my birthday?"

"It came up in a conversation," Cam casually replied, shrugging.

"So you don't really have to leave? It was all just a ruse to get me back here to celebrate my birthday?" He looked at Cam incredulously as f he couldn't believe Cam would do something like that.

"No, I do have to get going soon, but I wanted to be here for your birthday for a bit."

"If I'd known the real reason, I wouldn't have come back," Derrick sighed. "I was in the middle of following a lead."

"Then the cake we baked you would've gone to waste," Massie protested. She had spent quite a bit of time making sure the cake was perfect.

"The cake _she_ baked you," Cam corrected. "I just bought the ingredients and watched her do her thing." He pointed to the cake. "It's your favorite, dark chocolate. You can't say no to that."

Derrick glanced down at the cake that had been sitting on the counter for the past few minutes while they talked. The cake was very well made and looked like it was from a bakery. He looked back at Massie who had a hopeful look on her face. He decided he couldn't disappoint Massie. Besides, he was already back so there wouldn't be anything he'd be doing instead.

"All right, let's cut the cake then." Derrick started to pull out a knife from the knife holder at the center of counter but Massie stopped him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked, staring pointedly at the box of candles that was lying next to the cake.

"What? No."

"I told you he doesn't like using candles," Cam spoke up.

Massie gaped at Derrick in shock. "How can you not put in candles? A birthday cake isn't complete without them."

"I don't," Derrick grumbled. "I don't like to be reminded I'm getting older each year."

"But you're not even old!" Massie protested as she started putting the candles in.

"What am I, four?" He watched as Massie carefully inserted the two number candles into the cake. "Did you _have_ to get candles?" He asked Cam. "You know I never use candles."

"Massie was in charge of cake making and she insisted so I complied." Cam grinned. "Initially she wanted single candles but I told her that'd drive you crazy."

"Hey, the more the merrier, am I right?"

Cam chuckled in response.

"See, Cam agrees with me." Massie smiled, lighting the candles. "Let me guess, you don't like people singing for you either."

"Bingo." Derrick cringed. Candles he could take, but singing was a whole other story.

"Well you better hurry up and make a wish before the candles melt and ruin your precious dark chocolate."

Derrick held in a sigh of relief and closed his eyes to make his wish. _Let me find Lindsey Taylor and keep Massie safe_. He opened his eyes and blew the candles out quickly.

"What'd you wish for?" Massie asked as she took the candles out.

"Can't tell you," Derrick replied simply, waving the smoke away.

"Why not?"

"Because it's my wish therefore it's for me to know and you to never find out."

"Look who's being childish now," Massie smirked. "Fine, I bet it was a lousy wish anyway. Something like, 'I hope I solve more cases'".

Cam chuckled and handed the knife and plates over to Derrick who swiftly cut a medium-sized slice of the cake and passed it to Massie. She shook her head and pushed the plate back to Derrick.

"Birthday Boy gets the first slice," Massie said. "I already know what my cake tastes like."

Derrick rolled his eyes and took a bite of the cake. He had to suppress a moan. The cake was amazing. It definitely the best he'd ever tasted.

"I know, it's that's good." Massie grinned. "You should try my other cakes."

"You should open your own bakery," Cam suggested, taking his own bite of the cake.

"Yeah, I've never thought about it but maybe I will after all this is over." Besides shopping, baking was one of her hobbies.

"I get the first cake from the bakery," Derrick declared, already halfway through with his first slice. Actually, he didn't know if he and Massie would even keep in touch after this whole ordeal was over. He didn't think that would happen. Especially if she ever found out about his true occupation.

"Sure," Massie chuckled, "It'll be on the house. You too, Cam."

"I'll be sure to stop by." Cam grinned, who had mysteriously disappeared and reappeared with glasses and two bottles of wine in his hands. "Time for drinks. Can't celebrate a birthday without having drinks."

Massie eyed the bottles. "Two bottles?"

"What? Too little or too much?" Cam glanced down at the bottles. "You'll find out that two bottles isn't enough when you're with us. There are more in the pantry."

"Wow, now I understand what you were talking about."

"Exactly." Cam tipped his glass towards Massie.

"What were you two talking about?" Derrick's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he grabbed the glass out of Cam's hand before he could take a sip.

"Well, I was going to tell you, but since you just stole my glass, you can think again." Cam poured himself another glass.

"Birthday Boy, remember?" Derrick smirked, taking his first sip.

"Oh, _now_ you want to celebrate your birthday," Cam shook his head. "Well, you'll find out sooner or later. Maybe. "

"It's my birthday. I think I'm entitled to know what you guys were talking about."

Massie laughed. "Nice try. You don't get to play the Birthday Boy card seeing as how only twenty minutes ago, you didn't want to celebrate."

"A man's allowed to change his mind, isn't he?"

"Sure, but you don't get special privileges."

"Fine," Derrick grumbled, jabbing his fork into his second slice of cake.

"So as much as I'd like to stay and get drunk with you guys, I have to get back." Cam spoke up.

Massie glanced over at the clock on the microwave. "But it's not even midnight yet. The party hasn't even started yet."

"Three people including the birthday boy isn't what I'd call a party," Derrick pointed out casually.

Massie rolled her eyes. "Just eat your cake, Derrick." She turned back to Cam. "Just stay a couple more hours, please?" Half of her genuinely wanted Cam to stay and the other half of her just didn't want to be left alone with Derrick in his massive empty house.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to go." Cam finished his glass of wine and picked up his jacket. "It was really nice meeting you, Massie. I'll be sure to come back in a few days." He gave Massie a hug and a pat on Derrick's back. "Have fun, you two. Don't do something you'll regret." With that, Cam saw himself out.

As the sound of Cam's footsteps faded, Massie and Derrick were left sitting in awkward silence, both eating their slices of cake and sipping their wine.

"Wanna go down to the theater and have a Disney marathon?" Massie suggested, breaking the silence.

Derrick looked up in surprise.

"Don't worry, I'm not psychic. Cam told me about your tradition," Massie explained. "Hope that's okay. I mean, I wasn't trying to pry or anything like that."

Derrick had never told anyone about his Disney movie marathon. And he had never planned on telling. Oddly enough, he didn't mind that Massie knew. In fact, it was kind of nice being able to share hand his is tradition with someone new. "I don't mind. Come on." He grabbed what remained of the cake and his glass.

Massie followed after him down the hallway with her glass and bottle in each hand. She sank down into the couch that was in the center of the room and set the wine down on the table in front. She watched as Derrick put in _The Lion King_ DVD and made his way to the room in the back. He returned seconds later with a giant bowl of popcorn and plopped down next to her.

"It's been forever since I watched this," Massie said. "I don't even remember what happened."

Derrick turned and stared at her. "Don't tell me you've only watched it once."

Massie smiled sheepishly. "Disney princesses were my thing and Cinderella was my favorite."

Derrick frowned. "Screw Disney princesses. _The Lion King _is where it's at."

Rolling her eyes, Massie took another sip of her wine, savoring the taste as it went down her throat. Since being "captured" by Derrick, she hadn't had the chance to drink any alcohol and didn't think she would ever get the chance to.

As the opening scene came on, the two settled into silence, alternating between eating popcorn and drinking wine. But less than an hour later, the silence had turned into shouting, giggling, and drunken singing.

"A weema-weh, a weema-weh, a weema-weh, a weema-weh. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight."

Massie was singing along while Derrick looked on with amusement. They were on their second bottle of wine already and Massie was shouting at the screen as if she was actually in the movie singing along with Timon and Pumbaa. And though it was entertaining at first, Derrick was becoming slightly exasperated at Massie's comments and off-key singing but the wine subdued him and therefore did little to quiet Massie except for a few shushes here and there.

"Massie, if you keep talking you'll miss out on the important parts," he said, as if that would get Massie to shut up.

"What I'm doing is important," Massie shot back, turning to her side to glare at Derrick. "Simba needs my advice."

"I'm sure he can handle it himself," Derrick said dryly.

"Whatever," Massie sniffed, leaning forwards to grab the bottle for a refill. Keeping her legs crossed and tucked underneath her, she reached out diagonally, stretching her arm as far as she could so she wouldn't have to physically get up. But Massie leaned too far and she tipped forward, completely face planting on Derrick's lap.

The sudden movement jostled Derrick and some of the wine from his glass spilled onto his shirt. In less than a second, Massie pushed herself up and away from Derrick as if he had burned her. She watched in horror as the stain on Derrick's white t-shirt quickly bloomed like a bullet wound.

"Damn, this was my favorite shirt." Derrick stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't seem to be perturbed by the fact that Massie's face had just landed near a _certain_ region.

"I—I'm so sorry," Massie stuttered. "I—"

"I'm just kidding," Derrick chuckled. "I have like, ten of these." He pulled off his shirt, revealing a perfect set of abs that Massie had only seen a bit of before. Her eyes trailed down his stomach to the prominent V shape made by his muscles where it was cut off by his jeans.

Massie swallowed; she didn't know it was possible for her face to turn even redder. Her little mishap had sobered her up a bit but she was still buzzing. She quickly diverted her attention to the TV, avoiding Derrick's gaze. Depiste her heated face, Massie shivered.

"Are you cold?"

Massie nodded slightly as she tried to keep her focus on the TV instead of anywhere near Derrick.

"I'm gonna go change and I'll bring back a blanket." Derrick picked up the empty wine bottle. "And a new bottle or two." He paused. "For me."

Massie blushed once more at the thought of her ridiculous face plant. Derrick returned a couple minutes later with a blanket in one hand and two bottles of wine in the other. He had changed into a simple white v-neck and track pants.

"Do you also have ten of those?" Massie asked, gesturing at Derrick's t-shirt.

"No, I have twenty," Derrick replied with a straight face, sitting back down. He glanced at Massie who had given him a look of incredulity.

"You have twenty _identical_ white t-shirts?"

Derrick chucked a piece of popcorn at Massie. "A guy can't have twenty white t-shirts?"

"You don't need twenty t-shirts that are exactly the same." Massie threw the piece of popcorn back at Derrick.

"I do," Derrick shrugged, popping the piece of popcorn into his mouth casually. "I've worn every single one.""

"Please," Massie scoffed, "You've probably only worn at most five."

"You mean like how you've only worn five pairs out of your hundred pairs of shoes?"

Massie opened her mouth to protest but bit down on her lip instead because she realized it was true. "It's more than five pairs." she insisted.

"But it's still only a small fraction of what you own," Derrick smirked.

"It's a girl thing," was all Massie could say, returning her gaze back to the TV.

Derrick said nothing and the two sat in silence for the next few minutes as they focused on the movie. Massie was still sitting on the opposite end of the couch but she scooted closer to Derrick little by little to pour more wine into her glass, making sure not to face plant again. Eventually, Derrick just handed her the whole bottle and he had his own bottle.

"So, best birthday, right?" Massie asked. There was a pause and Massie laughed lightly. "I'm just kidding. I know this isn't what you had expected. This isn't how you wanted to spend your birthday, huh?"

Massie was right about one thing. Derrick hadn't expected that he'd be spending his birthday like this. "This isn't a bad way to spend it."

Massie brightened, scooting even closer. "Well, I'm glad you don't hate it. I was so bored out of my mind because you're keeping my locked up with nothing to do."

Derrick grabbed the remote to pause the movie and turned to face Massie. "I don't want to keep you locked up but I have to. It's for your own safety." Though his house was secure, Derrick knew he would feel more at ease if Massie was by his side. But that clearly wasn't an option because he was always out on a mission and that meant constantly being in danger. "I can't let you get hurt again."

Derrick's words surprised Massie and her annoyance at being cooped up disappeared. "I know, I understand and I'm so grateful for everything you've done. But can you let me out of the house once in a while? I feel like Rapunzel—minus the hair."

"I'll see if I can find a day. I can't guarantee it though," Derrick said as if he had a schedule he could check. He tugged on the blanket that Massie had tucked under her legs.

Puzzled, Massie un-tucked her legs and watched as Derrick pulled the blanket over to himself so that half of the blanket was covering him and other half was still covering Massie. Massie's face warmed as she felt the heat emit from Derrick's body. She was acutely aware of the almost nonexistent space between her legs and Derrick's and was finding it hard to concentrate on the movie

She blamed it on the alcohol. It was starting to really get at her. A feeling of tiredness suddenly overcame her and Massie struggled to keep her eyes open. Noticing Massie's drunken stupor, Derrick nudged her with his knee. Though they were both fully clothed, the touch jolted Massie awake.

"Don't fall asleep. It's almost over." Derrick gestured to the screen.

Massie didn't bother to point out that she'd probably missed a third of the movie due to certain interruptions and that missing the ending wouldn't make a difference. For the next couple of minutes, she continued to struggle to keep her eyes open and finally, seeing that Derrick himself was starting to wind down, she gave in.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Simba roaring in the rain.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I think this is the longest chapter yet! I already have the next chapter planned out so the next update will come a lot sooner! Did you guys like it? Any questions, suggestions, etc.? Please review and let me know what you guys thought of this chapter!<strong>

**And here's the important announcement: If you guys are interested in doing a Summer '13 Clique fix exchange, then go to the Forum page and look for the forum, "Holiday Fic Exchanges!" and you can sign up there! Spread the word and tell your friends! The more the merrier, right? **


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